Early the next morning, Dugu Bo brought Dugu Yan to the valley deep within Sunset Forest.
Dugu Yan wore a fitted dark green outfit today, her long hair tied in a high ponytail that exposed her slender, fair neck.
She looked no different from usual, still wearing that cold, distant expression. But Lin Chen noticed that her fingers had been unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, and her gaze drifted restlessly, unwilling to meet his eyes.
She was nervous.
"Lin Chen, I've brought her to you." Dugu Bo said with a cheerful smile, looking like an old man sending his granddaughter off on a blind date. "How do you need me to cooperate?"
"Senior, just stand guard outside. Don't let anyone disturb us."
"No problem." Dugu Bo patted his chest, then gave Dugu Yan a meaningful look. "Yan'er, cooperate with Lin Chen properly. Don't be difficult."
Dugu Yan gave her grandfather an expressionless look and said nothing.
Dugu Bo tactfully left the valley and stood guard at its entrance.
Only Lin Chen and Dugu Yan remained in the valley.
Steam from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well rose in the morning light, filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance.
Dugu Yan stood by the spring, her gaze resting on the strange waters that were hot on one side and cold on the other. After a long silence, she finally asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Her voice was lower than usual, carrying a trace of barely noticeable tension.
Lin Chen walked up to her, his expression serious. "First, I need to examine how the toxins are distributed inside your body. The process requires direct contact with your skin, so you may need to take off your outer garment."
Dugu Yan's eyelashes trembled sharply.
She looked up at Lin Chen. His gaze was clear and open, without the slightest stray thought, like a doctor examining a patient.
She stared at him for several seconds, seemingly confirming that he had no other intentions. Then she looked away and fell silent for a moment.
"...All right."
She turned around, presenting her back to Lin Chen, and raised a hand to undo the sash at her waist.
Her dark green outer robe slid down her shoulders, revealing a thin white inner garment beneath.
Her shoulders were beautifully shaped, her collarbones distinct, and her skin gleamed like jade in the morning light.
Her movements were somewhat stiff, and a visible blush spread across the roots of her ears. It extended down her neck, leaving even her fingertips faintly red.
She stood there with her back to Lin Chen, unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands. Her breathing was shallower than usual.
"Is this enough?" Her voice was even lower than before, carrying a hint of embarrassment she was trying hard to suppress.
"It's enough." Lin Chen stepped behind her, his tone steady. "Relax. Don't be nervous."
He raised his right hand, and a gray mark appeared in his palm. His second Nine-Colored Soul Ring lit up: Yin-Yang Law Control.
A soft grayish-white glow poured from his palm and slowly spread across Dugu Yan's back.
Dugu Yan's body suddenly tensed.
That force seeped through her skin and into her body, carrying a warm sensation, like invisible palms resting against her skin and slowly moving across it.
She could clearly feel the path that force took through her body.
From her back to her chest, from her shoulders to her fingertips, from her spine to her ankles.
Her breathing became somewhat unsteady.
The sensation was too strange. Wherever that force passed, her meridians felt as though they had been soaked in warm water, tingling and numb with an indescribable sense of comfort.
She could not help biting her lower lip lightly, trying to suppress the sound threatening to escape her throat.
Lin Chen focused on controlling the Yin-Yang Force and did not notice her subtle changes.
The Yin-Yang Force moved through her body, probing every inch of her meridians.
Dugu Yan unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white.
That warm force circulated within her, bringing waves of tingling numbness wherever it passed, as if a warm hand were gently massaging every meridian inside her.
Her breathing grew increasingly unstable, and the rise and fall of her chest quickened noticeably.
"Relax." Lin Chen's voice came from behind her, steady and gentle. "Don't resist it. Let it flow on its own."
Dugu Yan took a deep breath and tried her best to relax.
But when that force passed through her waist, an intense numbness suddenly surged through her. She could not help letting out a soft "Mm," then immediately bit her lip, her cheeks burning bright red.
She lowered her head, her bangs covering most of her face and leaving only two ears red enough to drip blood.
As if he had not heard her soft sound, Lin Chen continued controlling the Yin-Yang Force.
The force circulated through her body three times, sorting through all her meridians.
The accumulated toxins were gradually stripped away, broken down, and neutralized by the Yin-Yang Force, turning into harmless substances that were expelled from her body.
The entire process lasted roughly a quarter of an hour.
Lin Chen withdrew his hand, and the gray mark slowly faded away.
"It's done."
Dugu Yan remained where she was and did not turn around immediately.
Her head was lowered, her chest still rising and falling slightly. Several seconds later, she slowly let out a breath that trembled faintly.
She looked down at her hands. She felt lighter all over, as if a huge stone that had weighed on her chest for years had finally been lifted.
A thin layer of gray sweat seeped from the surface of her skin, carrying a faint fishy smell.
"Just go back and take a bath." Lin Chen's voice came from behind her, calm as usual. "The toxins have been cleared out completely. They won't flare up again in the future."
Dugu Yan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "...Turn around."
Lin Chen paused, then understood and turned his back to her.
The rustling sound of clothes being put on came from behind him. After a while, Dugu Yan's voice rang out. "All right."
Lin Chen turned back and saw that she had already put on her outer garment, returning to her usual cool and aloof appearance.
But the lingering flush on her cheeks and her slightly disheveled hair still gave away her earlier fluster.
She raised her head and looked at Lin Chen, her eyes holding something complicated.
"...Thank you," she said, her voice softer than before.
"You're welcome." Lin Chen smiled. "Your grandfather has helped me a great deal. It's only right that I help you."
Dugu Yan was silent for a while before asking, "What was that soul skill you used just now?"
"Yin-Yang Law," Lin Chen said. "It can harmonize the yin and yang balance of all things. The toxins in your body were yin in nature, so I used yang power to dissolve them, then used yin power to nourish your meridians. It accomplished two things at once."
Dugu Yan nodded as though she understood, but did not ask any further questions.
She lowered her head to look at her palm, clenched her fist, and felt the unprecedented lightness in her body.
Then she looked up at Lin Chen and said something that surprised him slightly.
"You're actually pretty reliable."
Lin Chen paused, then laughed. "Was that a compliment?"
"I suppose so." Dugu Yan turned and walked toward the valley entrance. After taking a few steps, she stopped without looking back. "If you ever need help with anything, you can come find me."
After saying that, she quickly walked out of the valley.
Lin Chen stood where he was, watching her back disappear beyond the valley entrance. He smiled and shook his head.
Outside the valley, Dugu Bo saw his granddaughter emerge and hurried over. "Yan'er, how did it go?"
Dugu Yan did not answer and walked straight past him. But after taking a few steps, she stopped and said softly, "Grandpa, he's a good person."
Then she quickened her pace and walked away without looking back.
Dugu Bo stood there in a daze before a brilliant smile bloomed across his face.
He turned toward the valley, stroking his beard and grinning like an old fox that had stolen a chicken.
There was hope.
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